Indicating instrument



April 11, 1944. GESS 2,346,422

INDICATING INSTRUMENT 1 Filed Oct. 14. 1941' FIG. I.

INVENTOR.

. LOUIS GESS menu's is. 11, 1944 umreo srArss PATENT OFFICE" anus: W

mmcs'rmo ms'rmmsn'r Louis Gees, Jenkinto'wn, Pm, assigns!- to The Brown Instrument comrmrmhilsdeiphhhn A 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to indicating instruments and more particularly to the formation of a scale .plate for such instruments.

In most indicating instruments a scale plate is provided which serves the double-purpose of hiding and protecting the measuring elements of the instrument and of having a scale on it that cooperates with an indicating pointer to give the value of the condition being measured. If the pointer is concentric with the scale, as is often the case. and some adjustment is necessary for the measuring elements, it is necessary to remove both the pointer and scale plate to make the ad- Justments. This is a time consuming operation, particularly with respect to correctly replacing the pointer on its shaft when the adjustments have been made. The latter is of particular importance, since if the pointer is not prope ly replaced on its shai't it will indicate an incorrect value.

Anobject of the present invention is to provide a scale plate for an indicating instrument that is formed in sections so that a portion thereof may be removed to permit adjustment of the measuring elements without the necessity of. removing the pointer. a

A further object of the invention-is to provide an indicating instrument with a scale plate that may be removed in sections from the instrument without the necessity of disconnecting the indicatlng' pointer from its actuating mechanism.

The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advanstrument may be used to indicate the value of any variable condition it is shown herein as indicating the value of flow through a pipe 4. To this end the pipe is provided with an orifice I that sets up a differential pressure in accordance I with changes in now. Pressure taps t and I lead from each side of the orifice to the legs of s manometer 8. which may be of any conventional type. For purposes of this description, however.

.with the differential pressure supplied-through.

the pressure taps and i. In this fashion the level of the mercury in the legs of the manometer tages and specific objects obtained with its use,

reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment oi the invention.

Of the drawing: j

Fig.1 shows a view of the instrument with a portion of the door broken away,

Fig. 2 is a view of the instrument with the door removed and a portion of the scale plate removed. I

' Fig. 3 is a side view of the instrument partly in section and,

Fig. 4 is a back view of the instrument showing dicating members vmay be seen, While the ,in-

- it. This spring also serves to prevent accidental varies in accordance with the flow through pipe 4. A float ii rests on the surface of the mercury in the high pressure leg of the manometer and rises and falls as the mercury level in this leg changes.

Motion of the float is imparted to an arm I! that is attached to a shaft l3 which ex tends through a suitable pressure tight bearing in the manometer I andthrough the wall of the instrument casing I.

Rotation of the shaft i3 is imparted to an indicating pointer in the instrument casing by means of an arm it that is attached to this shaft and which arm is fastened toan arm' I! that is free to rotate on the shaft ll. Arms II and I! are held in a given position relative to each other by means of an adjusting screw it that extends through a turned-up edge I! on the arm I! and is threaded into a turned-up e ge ll of the arm it. These arms are kept in a normal position relative to each other by means of a spring I! that bears with its ends against the edges I1 and rotation of the adjusting screw it.

Movement of the arm II is transmitted to an indicating pointer by meansof a link 20 that is attached at one end to the'arm ii and at its other end to a slider 2! that is adiustably fastened to a slot formed on the lower end of a lever 22' which is pivoted at 23. A segment lever 34 is also pivoted at 23 and is attached to the lever I! in any suitable manner so that it will move with this lever around the pivot. Lever 24 is formed on its upper end with an arcuate face I! which is provided with gear teeth that mesh with a pinion 20 which is mounted on a shaft 21. The shaft 88 21 is suitablyiournalled' forrotationin the in end an indicating pointer 23. From the above description it will be seen that this pointer 23 will be moved around the shaft 21 as a center in accordance with variations in the flow of liquid through the pipe 4 as measured by the position of the float II on manometer.

the sealing liquid of the A pair of upper supporting pins 23 and a pair of lower supporting pins 33 extend from'the back of easing l and are adapted to support a scale plate which serves the dual purpose of protecting the measuring elements that have just the under surface of. the scale plate part 3|.

One of these extends vertically and the other horizontally and they serve, along with the second or right supporting post 33', to hold a small scale plate part 33 in a position in which it cooperates with the part 3| as shown in Fig. 1. The scale plate part 33 is provided with a semicircular cut out portion 31 that'cooperates with the cut out portion 34 of part 3| to form an opening in the scale plate for the shaft 21. The part 33 is provided with an opening 33 that receives the second supporting post 33. Thumb screws 33 extend through openings provided in the part 33 and are threaded into openings in the lugs 35 to hold the scale plate part 33 rigidly in place.

It is noted that the pins 29 and so are separated slightly more than the distance between instrument the lower pins 33 are bent upwardly a slight amount as they pass through the openings 32 and 33. Thus the neck portions of the pins bind against the edge of the openings that been described and having thereon a scale which cooperates with thepointer 23. This scale plate 2,843,422 strument casing and has attached to its front from the instrument'without in any way affectins the pointer 23 and its relation to the rest of the measuring elements. When it is desired to remove the part 33 it is only necessary to remove the two thumb screws 33 and lift this part out of the instrument.- If the scale plate part 3| is also to be removed it is only necessary to lift this plate off of the supporting pins 23 and the supporting pin 33. The provision of this simple and easily assembled scale plate for an indicating instrument renders the adjustment of the instrument very simple and also insures that any adjustments which have been made will not be disturbed when the scale plate is replaced. The feature of being able to remove and replace the scale plate' without in any way disturbing the relation between shaft 21 and pointer 23 insures that the adjustments made to the instrument will not be disturbed.

'While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described .the best form of this invention now known to me, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims-and that in some cases certain features of this invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described this invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a condition indicating instrument having a casing containing condition actuated means having adjusting means therefor, the combination of a shaft operated by the condition actuated means, a pointer carried by the shaft, a scale plate located in front of the condition actuated means and between the condition actuated means and the pointer for cooperating with receive them and the scale plate is rigidly held in place.v Reinforcing members 43, one of which is on the part 3| and the other of which is on the part 33, serve'to keep the central portions of the two parts 3| and 33 from moving relative to each other. A suitable scale 4| that is concentric with shaft 21 is provided on the'front of the two segment plate parts so that it will cooperate with the pointer 23 to indicate thevalue of the flow in pipe 4.

With the construction that has been described it will be seen that when lookin at the instrument there appears to be a solid scale plate back of the. window 3 which plate has a scale give an indication of the value of the flow. when, however, it is necessary to make some adjustment to the motion transmitting linkage which lies behind the scale plate either the part 3301' both the parts 33 and 3| can be removed .on it that cooperates with the pointer 23 to -and having an opening along their contiguous edges for accommodating the shaft, and means for removably securing the sections of the scale plate to the casing to permit access to' the interior of the casing for adjusting the adjusting meansof the condition actuated means without disturbing the pointer.

2. In a condition indicating instrument havin a casing containing condition actuated means having adjusting means therefor, the combination of a shaft operated by the condition actuated means, a pointer carried by the shaft, a scale plate located in front of the condition actuated means and between the condition actuated means and the pointer for cooperating with the pointer to indicate the value of the condition, said scale plate being formed of two 'sections and having an opening along their contiguous edges for accommodating the shaft, and means for detachably securing the sections or the scale plate together and for removably securing the sections of the scale plate. to the casing to per-. mit access to the interior of the casing for ad- 'justing the adjusting means of the condition LOUIS GESS. 

